Air moistening apparatus for incubators



Dec. 13, 1932. v G, KARTHAUS 1,890,610

AIR MOISTENING APPARATUS FOR INCUBATORS Filed Sept. 13, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 1 A f/a/ne'y 1932. L. J. G. KARTHAUS 1,890,610

AIR MOISTENING APPARATUS FOR INGUBATORS Filed Sept. 13, 1928 2 Shets-Sheet 2 A foiwy Patented Dec. 1 3, 1932 PATENT OFFICE IIEONABDUS JULIUS GEORGE KARTHAE'S, OF NEERBOSCH, NETHERLANDS AIR MOISTENING APPARATUS FOR INCUBATORS Application filed September 18, 1928, Serial No. 305,802, and in the Netherlands September 24, 1927,

rocess depend. In consequence there have en many attempts to overcomethis difiiculty, but until now it has not been possible 10 to fulfill these exigencies of practice in a satisfactory way. The usual apparatus for moistening the air in incubators consists in a flat open tray, provided with a moistened wick. By the heat in the incubator the water of the wick is gradually evaporated, sothat the air in the incubator is moistened to the desired degree. The humidity of the air can be verified by a hygrometer or it may in the incubator.

An important improvement of the method to verify the humidity of the air in the incubator is obtained by a known apparatus by means of the indicator of a thermometer, the bulb of which is surrounded by a woven sleeve, the lower end reaching into a recep tacle, filled with water or the like. By the capillarity action of the fabric, the water ascends to the upper end of the sleeve, surrounding the bul of the thermometer.

As the water, taken up by the fabric, absorbs heat during evaporation, the wet bulb thermometer will always indicate a lower temperature than a second dry bulb thermometer, placed in the incubator. The 'difference of temperature, shown by the two bulbs, therefore, indicates directly the amount of evaporation taking place and thereby indirectly the amount of moisture, absorbed by the air. When, for instance, the dew point is reached, i. e., at 100% saturation of the air, evaporation has gradually stopped, and the temperature levels of both remaining difference solely due to the possible difierence in temperature between the wet wick and the moisture-laden air. This condition, however, is never attempted or tolerated in the class of devices concerned with this description.

be estimated by merely placing the hand with{ ply.

Fabrics, wicks, .porous stones and. the like,

thermometers is more or less equalized, the

It has been shown by experiments, that a certain difference between the indications of the dry bulb thermometer and the wet bulb thermometer, corresponds with a certain degree of humidity of the air in the incubator.

The preferred degree of humidity of 41 76 is reached if the dry bulb thermometer 1ndicates 100 F. andthe other thermometer o indicates approximately 80 F.

Although by application of this apparatus a better result is obtained, the drawback remains, that it only serves as a verification and thehumidifying conditions must be con trolled continuously.

This drawback is overcome by application of the apparatus according to the invention, by which it becomes possible, to maintain au-' tomatically the desired degree of humidity of the air in the incubator. I

The invention consists, in the first place, in that the apparatus to moisten the air in the incubator is composed ofone or more vertically or nearly vertically placed, even curved or cylindrical, planes made of capillary material and connected to a water sup? capable of capillary action are suitable capillary material.

The supply of water to the moistening planes may be effected either by mountin the planes in such a way that the lower en reaches into the water containers or by suspending them in a groove like opening in the bottom of a curved or circular water container.

With the latter construction care has to be taken that more water can not flow from the container than can be absorbed and vaporized by the air moistening planes. A receptacle may be placed under the planes Q0 catch an excess water.

The air moistenin planes may have'various shapes, e. g.- at rectangular, waved alllld curved, oval or cylindrical or any other s ape I An important. advantage according to the invention consists in the fact that the air,

circulating in the incubator, passes along both sides of the is obtained. I

A further feature of the invention is that the dimensions of the planes, which are exposed to the air current may be varied and adjusted e. g. by varying the height of the planes or by covering the planes, so that they cannot come into contact with the air in the incubator.

Furthermore according to the invention the supply of water to the planes in the in cubator may occur automatically in proportion to the quantity of the vaporized water and the humidity of the air in the incubator.

Some embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention will be described hereafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate solely by way of example, an incubator, provided with the apparatus according to the invention.

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross section of the incubator;

Fig. 2 is on a larger scale the middle portion of the incubator of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line IIIIII of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail of the automatic water supply controller;

' Fig. 5 is a varied embodiment of the automatic water sup ly controller.

Referring to Figs. 1-3 1 is the insulated casing of the incubator, divided by two verplanes, so that a good result tical partitions 2 into three chambers 3, 3

and 4. Both chambers 3, 3 contain the eggs and chicken trays. The middle chamber 4 is provided with an electric fan 5, which takes fresh air through the inlet openings 6 and drives out the waste air along the both chambers 3, 3, and through the outlet openings 7. At some distance under the fan see Figs. 1 and 2) near each wall 2, heating tubes 8 are provided, by which the air in the incubator is heated to the desired temperature; for keeping constant this temperature use can be made of a thermostatic regulator.

The air in the incubator can be moistened according to the invention by means of two vertical cloths or wicks 10, fixed to frames 9 with the lower ends dipping into water containers 11, to which water is supplied by pipes 12, connected to a common horizontal supply tube 13. The cloths or wicks may be substituted by porous stones or other capillary bodies.

The tube 13 is connected to a container 14, placed under the water container 15, from which the water is supplied and automatically controlled by means ofa float 16, which seats against the lower end of a fitting 17 of the container'15.

In order to regulate automatically the supply of water to the fabric 10 in such a way that the humidity of the air remains at the thermometer has its contact placed at 80 F. v

and may have the same scale as the thermometer 19 (Fig. 1), placed in the left hatching chamber 3. The bulb of the contactthermometer is surrounded by the endof a hollow wick 20 (Fig. 4), the other end of which is immersed into a bottle 21 filled with water.

By the evaporation of the water from the wick 20 the contact thermometer 18 will indicate a lower temperature than the thermometer 19 in accordance with the heat, withdrawn by the wick 20 from the bulb of the thermometer 18. If the contact thermometer 18 indicates F. and the thermometer 19 indicates 100 F. the degree of humidity in the incubator will be about 41%, which is the desired degree of moisture for such incubators.

Whenever by some reason the degree of humidity in the incubator has become too high, the mercury column of the wet bulb thermometer 18 rises above 80 F., due to the decreasing possibility of evaporation of the water from the wick 20. This will close the electric circuit 22. As in this circuit a battery 23 (Fig. 4) and an electromagnet 24 are inserted, the latter is energized and at tracts a lever 26, causing the valve 27' to abut its seat 28. As the valve 27 controls the supply of water from the container 14 along the tube to the fabric 10, 10, this water supply will be cut off, as long as the humidity within the incubator remains at this too high condition. If then the humidity content sinks, due to the constantly operating drying effect of the fan, the mercury of the thermometer 18 drops again, due to the then increased evaporation of the water from the wick 20. If the mercury is dropped below the 80 F. point, the circuit 22 opens, whereby the electromagnet 24 is demagnetized and releases the lever 26, automatically opening the water supply valve 27 by means of a spring 25, and the whole cycle of events will be repeated. It is apparent. that in this way the top of the mercury is kept pendulating around the 80 F. point.

The wicks 9, illustrated in theFigs. 13, may be replaced by a single cylindrical wick, thereby increasing the influence of the air current, developed by the fan 5, in proportion to the operative surface of the wick.

Instead of the apparatus according to Fig. 4, use can be made of a varied apparatus for controlling the water supply to the wicks (Fig. 5). By application of this instrument the humidity of the air can automatically be adjusted and kept at every desired degree.

9 in to close thesame, means tending to'hold 'sald valve inits normal position, a wet bulb capsule and thereby the passage of the water tube'13. v

It is'obvious that the invention is not limited to the above embodiments. 1 The operative surface of the air moistening apparatus may be-controlled by rolling up the fabric or by covering the surfaces by means of a movable flat or cylindrical sleeve or in any other J way.

, said resilient means, and a .wet bulb contact Iclaim: i p 1. Air moistening apparatus for controlling the humidityin incubators, comprising a water evaporating means'made of capillary material, a water supply means independent of the heating device of the incubator, a pipe connecting said water evaporating and said water supply means, a normally open valve in said pipe, resilient means tending to open said valve, an electrical control circuit magnetically holding said valve closed against thermometer responsive to the relative humidity within the incubator and connectedinsaid electrical control circuit so as to energize the same and cause the valveto close when the humidity within the incubator exceeds a. given limit.

2. Air moistening apparatus, for controlling the humidity in incubators, comprising a pipe connecting said water evaporating and said water supply means, a valve extending into said pipe and controlling the flow of water-through the same, and an independent evaporating means made of capillary material disposed within the incubator and surrounding a container containing a medium having a high coefiicient of expansion, in order that the alterations of the volume of said medium will cause thevalve in said pipe to open and to close, said first water evaporating means tending to retain a limited water supplly after closure of said valve.

4. ir moistening apparatus for controlling the humidity in an incubator, comprising a water evaporating means made of capillary material, there being a heating device associated with the incubator, a water supply pipeconnecting said water evaporating and said water supply means, a valve extending into said pipe and controlling the flow of water through the same, a casing containing amedlum having a hlgh coeflicient of expan- Sl0I1, and an'independent evaporating means made of capillary material disposed within the incubator and surrounding said casing, said medium within said casing being adapted to directly move said valve and thereby open and close the same by the alterations in the volume of said medium.

In testimonywhereofl aflix my signature LEQNARDUS JULIUS GEORGE KARTHAUS.

means independent of said heating device, a

water evaporating means made of capillary material, a water supply means independent of the heating device of the incubator, a pipe connecting said water evaporating and said water supply means, a-normally open valve in said pipe, an electrical control circuit comprising a battery, an electromagnetdn magnetic relation to said normally open valve acteontact thermometer responsive to the relative humidity within the incubator and connected in said electrical control circuit so as to energize said electromagnetgwhen the humidity within the incubator exceedsa given limit and a spring automatically opening netized;

3. Air moistening apparatus forcontrolling the humidity in an incubator, comprising a water evaporating means made of capillary material, there being a heating device associated with the incubator. awater supply means independent of said heating device; a

said valve when'this electromagnet is demag- 

